Opening statement by @IdahoITD Ness is they are breaking down bureaucracy and focusing on their customers—the citizens of Idaho. “We are moving at the speed of business.”

So far, Ness focuses on breaking down a 1960s Civil Service model. Says @IdahoITD is focusing on outcomes rather than processes. “Customers hear ‘yes, if...’ rather than ‘no, because.’”

According to Ness, @IdahoITD has $406m/yr funding shortfall. Most funding injected in recent years is heavily-subsidized from non-user sources. No indication if $291m annual “safety & capacity” shortfall includes the 41% of the state’s pedestrian deaths that occur on ITD’s roads.

Sidebar conversation after @IdahoITD Ness revealed Governor’s $800m state funds budget proposal. The $2m given from state for pedestrian & bike safety is 0.25% of state transportation budget despite those modes accounting for 8% of state’s traffic fatalities.

Rep. Winthrow: Businesses are looking for other modes and options for their employees?

Ness: It’s what we do. It’s moving people, moving goods. We look at all forms of moving goods. We’ve seen a spike in accidents (🥴). Seen spike in pedestrian accidents, part due to opiods 🧐

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In 2007, as an employee of ACHD and under oath in a lawsuit between the City of Boise and ACHD, I defended the widening and design of Ustick Rd. In 2014, 13-year old Olivia Schnacker died after being hit by a motorist while she crossed Ustick, a couple years after it was widened.

I’m rarely in that part of Boise since I moved back. I moved away in 2008, in part due to that lawsuit, what I defended, and what I felt was a departure by my employer from my set of values in being a transportation planner and project manager.

Olivia’s death hit me hard. I had already turned my passions toward protecting vulnerable road users. It made me more of an advocate for safety as we, despite having decent design features for pedestrians, still made vehicle LOS the priority.

Reading an MPO’s Triennial Review by @USDOT reveals disconnects the Feds don’t understand. You can’t criticize an MPO for not properly incorporating bike/ped/transit considerations into DOT-submitted TIP projects when DOT threatens a region’s funding if MPO objects to a project.

Yeah, that was a wonky tweet. Here’s the decoder ring description: MPOs are reviewed every theee years by a @USDOT panel of @USDOTFHWA@FTA_DOT reps. They look at long range plans, TIP, congestion management process, etc.

The resulting report typically identifies progress since the last review, commendations on things done well, and “corrective actions” for the MPO to address before the next review.

We have to get bureaucracies off their deadly fixation that 94% of crashes are caused by human error and thus the reason why fixing human behavior is the answer to traffic fatalities. It has created a barrier to real safety interventions in the US. Let's go threading...

Since the 1930s we have used the "human error is the cause of crashes, thus the cause of deaths on road." This has been used to deflect attention away from safe systems approaches.

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#Peanuts history.
#1: Charlie Brown: Stalwart. Everyman. Depressive. Sports fan. Trier. Loser.
First appearance: 2 October 1950 (the first strip)
Last appearance: 13 February 2000 (the final strip)

#Peanuts history.
#2: Patty. Not to be confused with Peppermint Patty, the original Patty was the first girl Peanut, although her character was never really developed.
First appearance: 2 October 1950 (the first strip)
Last appearance: 17 April 1995 (by then, a rare appearance)

#Peanuts history.
#3: Shermy. Straight man. The forgotten boy, his character even less developed than Patty's.
First appearance: 2 October 1950 (the first strip)
Last appearance: Disputed. Either 15 June 1969, or 9 November 1975 (either way, he'd all but been forgotten)

Judge Brett Kavanaugh's #SCOTUS hearings kick off this morning. Dems are furious at the number of docs being withheld re: his time in the White House under W. Bush. Republicans are defending the extent of disclosures. @chrisgeidner has been on it -->

The Kavanaugh hearing just got started and there's already chaos. Dems are interrupting Grassley as he starts to read his opening statement to protest the latest production of docs right before the hearing. Blumenthal is moving to adjourn. Grassley says they will proceed.

It began with Sen. Harris jumping in as soon as Grassley began, to say they had not been given the opportunity to review documents. Sen. Blumenthal pressed to adjourn. Now Sen. Booker is calling for time to debate the process.

US Nat. Sec Committee at US Congress is discussing tomorrow the threats that #MuslimBrotherhood brings upto the United States of America and its allies - we can’t wait to see #MBs designated in the #US !